


H is for Helium

by dracometria



Category: TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Chemistry is Huening Kai's enemy, Conflict of Interests, Developing Relationship, First Kiss, H is for Helium, Huening Kai's TA to be exact, Jealous Choi Soobin, Jealous Jeon Jungkook, Kim Taehyung as Vante, Kissing, M/M, Making Out, Soobin is a TA, Soobin teaches in more ways than one wink wonk, Underage Drinking, hyung line are roommates, maknae line are roommates, side beomjun, slight vkook, sookai on the struggle bus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 19:07:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21683599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracometria/pseuds/dracometria
Summary: Huening Kai makes out with a gorgeous stranger and doesn't question his life choices until said stranger shows up as the TA for his chemistry class.Alternatively:Taehyunnie he’s my TA!!!!!!!!!!!!! :((((((Holy shit. You made out with your TA?what are the chances ughhh i didn’t know!!!! what am i supposed to do now ><Want to meet up with me and ‘Gyu when you’re done?Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Huening Kai
Comments: 60
Kudos: 355





	1. it's only five minutes until midnight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Huening Kai makes out with a gorgeous stranger and doesn't question his life choices until said stranger shows up as the TA for his chemistry class.
> 
> Alternatively:  
>   
>  _Taehyunnie he’s my TA!!!!!!!!!!!!! :((((((  
>  Holy shit. You made out with your TA?  
> what are the chances ughhh i didn’t know!!!! what am i supposed to do now ><   
> Want to meet up with me and ‘Gyu when you’re done?  
> Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wip! aiming for three chapters. also this whole chapter is in present tense because it was too late to change by the time i noticed hhhhh
> 
> ages:  
> soobin/yeonjun: 20  
> huening kai/taehyun/beomgyu: 19
> 
> pre-fic relationships:  
> soobjun (close friends)  
> yeonkai (childhood friends)  
> tyunning (best friends)  
> maknae line (close friends)  
> soogyu (close friends)

Huening Kai doesn’t really know where he’s being dragged to, but he lets it happen. Yeonjun was supposed to take care of him, so he’ll be ok, right? The elder motions for him to sit down, and he does, albeit a little wobbly. He probably shouldn’t have any more drinks tonight. 

Kai looks at the bottle in the middle of the circle and manages to piece together what’s happening. He feels like—like maybe now is a good time to mention to Yeonjun that he’s never kissed anyone before—when the game starts and he loses his chance.

He will _freak_ if Yeonjun is his first kiss. He shudders just thinking about it. He’s thinking of ways to get out of the game when the bottle slows down to a stop… pointing to him, of course.

“Um,” Kai says intelligently. He wasn’t paying attention, so he has no idea who spun. He doesn’t have to do much guessing when a tall, dark-haired boy starts heading his way.

Yeonjun nudges him. “I can’t believe Soobin got you,” he hissed. “I doubt he’ll try anything, but if he does, tell me and I’ll beat his ass.” 

“Um, Junie—”

But it’s too late, and “Soobin” is already in front of him, and wow—he was so tall—and mouthwateringly gorgeous, actually, now that Kai can see him properly. Does this count as getting lucky? 

“Just pretend I’m not here,” Yeonjun says teasingly, to him or to Soobin, he doesn’t know. 

“Don’t you dare land on me,” Soobin threatens, though it’s a threat without any heat. Yeonjun cackles. 

Kai nervously licks his lips. He had always assumed—well, that his first kiss would happen whenever it happened—hopefully with a crush or someone along those lines. Not five minutes before midnight with a stranger at his first ever college party.

Soobin is looking at him—with concern, he thinks, but he’s not very good at figuring out facial expressions right now. 

“Are you ok?” Soobin says softly. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to—” 

He hastily shakes his head. “No, I’m ok, I just…” 

There’s some good-natured jeering now, and someone yells for them to kiss already.

Soobin smiles sheepishly as he kneels and tilts Kai’s chin towards him. Kai squeezes his eyes shut, bracing himself. 

Soobin’s lips are very soft—and though Kai’s never kissed anyone before, he still has _expectations,_ and Soobin makes an absolute mess of them. It’s not as awkward as he thought it was going to be. Their lips meld together smoothly; there’s no fireworks, but there’s a shiver of anticipation instead. When Soobin draws back, Kai makes his next decision on impulse and closes the short distance between them again, driven by a burning curiosity and newfound attraction. 

There’s an audible gasp from Yeonjun and several loud hoots of laughter from the encirclement, but Kai pays them no mind as he focuses on locking their lips together again, finding that he and Soobin manage to slot together perfectly without any trouble. He mimics the soft press of lips and swipe of tongue that Soobin used earlier, and he’s surprised when Soobin deepens the kiss. Their mouths are hot and slick against each other; and Kai is a little breathless from getting more than he expected, so he pulls back abruptly. Soobin looks surprised, but he’s already heading back to his original spot before Kai can say anything. Kai’s sure he’s blushing furiously so he covers his mouth, suddenly shy as everyone starts cheering. Yeonjun slings an arm around his shoulder. 

“Ya, Soobin—you think you can get away with this?” Yeonjun says, and Kai realizes the elder may be slightly more drunk than him. 

“Shh, Junie-hyung.” Kai lets Yeonjun rest his head against his shoulder. “I’m going to call Taehyunnie to give me a ride home,” he says, petting the older’s hair. “Are you staying?” 

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Text me when you get home, punk. Don’t think I’ll forget about this tomorrow.” 

Kai finds it hard to be nervous when Yeonjun is slurring half of his words. “Ok, ok~”

He stands up, ducking his head when he meets Soobin’s eyes across the circle, fingers subconsciously ghosting over his lips. He makes his way to the door, but not before hugging and waving goodbye to what seemed like half of the people in the house. He doesn’t remember meeting all of them, but he’s exchanged numbers with a few so he’s sure he’d made some friends. 

Kai hurriedly zips his coat up as he steps outside—it’s cold. He doesn’t live very far away, so Taehyun won’t be long. The cold sobers him up a little. 

He’s standing contently by himself, watching his breaths come out in puffs of air when the door opens. He shuffles out of the doorstep to make room for the other person, but he startles slightly when he sees that it’s Soobin. The long black coat paired with his black turtleneck really made him stand out, and even though Kai already noticed earlier, Soobin is just really, _really_ good looking. 

“Waiting on a ride?” Soobin says casually as he closes the door behind him, and Kai blinks at him, forgetting how to respond for a second.

“Er, yeah.” 

Soobin nods, and he’s rubbing the back of his neck. He seems almost shy, and the sudden duality confuses Kai. There’s a brief, awkward silence before Soobin speaks.

“You surprised me earlier,” he says, and—is he _giggling_ behind his hand? “I normally don’t play that type of game, so you really—surprised me.” 

“Oh,” Kai says. “Me too. I mean, I don’t either, but you know how Junie-hyung can get.” Now that he’s slightly more sober, he can recall Yeonjun occasionally bringing up Soobin’s name. They probably hang out a lot. 

Soobin laughs, and it sounds so genuine that Kai smiles too, even though he’s almost vibrating from nervousness. He’s generally good with people, so he’s confused why Soobin makes him nervous. Other than the fact they just kissed. Actually, that probably changes everything. 

“You’re leaving already?” Kai asks. The party is still in full swing. 

Soobin grimaces. “Yeah, I’ve got class tomorrow.” 

“Oh, that’s responsible of you.” Kai cringes. “Wait, I do too.” 

Soobin laughs again, and it’s infectious—Kai wonders if he’s that giggly all the time, or if it’s just the alcohol. Soobin reaches over to tousle his hair. 

“Huening Kai, right?” 

Kai nods, and they mock-solemnly shake hands as Soobin needlessly introduces himself, both cracking up in laughter after. 

Maybe it’s the alcohol that makes Kai share, even though he feels that he’s already sobering up. “That was my first kiss.” 

“What, really?” Soobin says. “No way, you’re really cute.” Soobin searches his face before commenting in amazement, “Wow, really? I’m sorry, I guess that’s why Yeonjun—” 

“He didn’t know,” Kai said. “It was hard to bring up. And…” Kai blushes a little, “It was nice anyway. Just new. I guess I wanted to experience as much of it while I could.”

“Oh.” Soobin tilts his head and looks at him oddly. “Do you want to…” 

Kai could feel his cheeks heating up as he catches the invitation to continue where they left off. He bites his lip. “Is it ok if I don’t really know what I’m doing?” 

Soobin smiles gently. “You can follow my lead,” he says, and they slowly gravitate towards each other; Kai’s heart is thumping like a wild animal against his ribcage. Their lips touch again, and Kai finds time to appreciate just how tall Soobin is—he rarely has to look _up_ to anyone. 

The kiss starts out sweet, and Soobin’s hands settle on Kai’s waist. It feels a lot more intimate than the kiss inside, though Kai supposes not being watched by at least twenty other people helps. He keeps his hands stuffed in his pockets, not having the knowledge of where to put them or the courage even if he did. Soobin takes it slowly, encouraging Kai to participate, and not for the first time that night, he finds himself enthusiastically responding. He’s not sure if he enjoys kissing because it feels nice, or if he enjoys kissing because _Soobin_ makes it feel that way. 

Soobin runs his tongue over his bottom lip and Kai parts his lips, mirroring what Soobin had done for him earlier. When Soobin licks into his mouth, he tastes mostly sweet, the hint of alcohol barely there. It’s been a while since Kai had his last drink, but he frowns when he thinks he probably tastes like cheap vodka.

The tip of Soobin’s tongue touches his briefly, and Kai is less surprised this time and more curious. True to his word, Soobin is leading, and Kai copies his movement, hesitantly pressing into Soobin’s mouth. Whatever Soobin does next with his tongue has Kai faintly realizing, _oh, he’s a really good kisser._

Kai doesn’t properly feel their proximity until his hand drops from his pocket and immediately bumps into Soobin’s. Soobin places a hand at the small of his back, bringing him closer, and Kai has nowhere else to put his arm under than on Soobin’s shoulder—so he does that, until it dawns on him that he’s in the perfect position to run his hand through Soobin’s hair, so he does that as well. Their bodies are flush against each other, and Kai is thinking he wouldn’t mind if they did this all night—

That was when someone honked at them and they jumped apart. 

Kai groans when he sees Taehyun’s car. Of course. 

“I gotta go,” Kai says, feeling a bit like Cinderella. Well, it was slightly past midnight, but still. “Thanks… for teaching me,” he mumbles. 

Soobin shrugs, smiling. “You’re a quick learner.” He pauses as if to consider something, seemingly deciding quickly. “Huening Kai, let’s exchange numbers?” 

“Oh,” Kai says, glad that Soobin’s the one that brought it up because he had completely forgotten. “Sure.” They respectively enter their contact information in each other’s phones, and Kai ends up titling his contact as “ _Your cutie Huening Kai >3< _.” 

Kai waves when they finish. “I’ll see you around.” 

“Good night,” Soobin says. “Be safe.” 

Kai braces himself for the grilling as he opens the passenger door. Taehyun’s already giving him _that_ look. 

“Tell me I just did not see that,” his best friend deadpans. 

“You definitely just saw that.” 

“Tell me everything when we get home,” Taehyun says, because he’s not one for driving while distracted. And Kai _knows_ he won’t get any sleep until he ends up spilling, so he just sighs in resignation. The ball of excitement that’s in his chest is finally loosening. 

Kai tells Taehyun about his night over hotteok and ice cream, knocking out in record time once he finishes up his story. Taehyun has a few choice words for Yeonjun, but some things were best left for the day after.

* * *

Kai barely makes it to his first class on time on account of being extremely hungover. When he enters the classroom, all of the seats in the back have already been taken, so he slinks to the front and takes a seat right in front of the professor, who looks at him with some amusement. 

Maybe he did himself a favor. He’s awful at chemistry, so hopefully sitting up front would force him to pay attention. He sighs, already resigning himself to a semester full of remedial sessions. 

He scans the room for anyone he might know, coming up empty until he hits the front. 

Soobin is sitting at the table designated for the teacher’s assistant, and when their eyes meet, they share a gaze of faint horror. 

Fuck, _fuck._ He was fucked. 

Kai fires off a quick text to Taehyun. 

_Taehyunnie he’s my TA!!!!!!!!!!!!! :((((((_

_Holy shit. You made out with your TA?_

_what are the chances ughhh i didn’t know!!!! what am i supposed to do now >< _

_Want to meet up with me and ‘Gyu when you’re done?_

_Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!_

Kai slumps down in his seat. Of all the luck...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i initially wanted to post this as a one-shot, but then i realized in the states it's still technically soobin's birthday so i wanted to post today ㅠㅠ
> 
> honorary title: it's only five minutes until midnight  
> (the chemistry title was too good to pass up... at least i can still use it as a chapter title >3< )
> 
> i don't haven't used sites like this often but if you have any prompts or ideas you'd like me to write, please send me an ask! https://curiouscat.me/dracometria i love prompts so much♡


	2. split me like a gemini

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Huening Kai and Soobin try not to fall for each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ages reminder:  
> huening kai 19  
> soobin 20

Huening Kai flips between misery and confusion during the lecture. Professor Bang briefly goes over the syllabus (no extra credit, three tests, cumulative final) before introducing Soobin as class TA. Kai swears the class pays more attention to Soobin than the actual professor as he lists his office hours and promises to be there for them if they should ever need his help.

Kai tries not to stare and ends up mostly successful. The professor launches into a full lecture, and by the time class is over, his notes are jam-packed and he doesn’t think he understood a single concept. _Fuck._

Kai hurriedly packs up, not missing the way his classmates mill around for a chance to speak with Soobin. It’s not too late to transfer out, right? He doesn’t exactly know how to feel—Soobin being his TA kind of ruins any chances of them making it past an academic acquaintanceship.

Kai thinks he feels frustrated, but he compartmentalizes and decides he’ll process his feelings later. He brushes his bangs back from his face, wondering if he should try to keep it a secret from Yeonjun. 

At that moment, their eyes met, and Kai freezes like a deer in headlights.

“Huening Kai-ssi,” Soobin finally says politely. Kai groans internally as he remembers what he saved himself as on Soobin’s phone. 

“Soobin...sunbaenim,” he returns nervously. He doesn’t think he can ever look at his TA again without being reminded how it was like to kiss him. 

Soobin makes a discreet gesture with his phone before he has to turn his attention back to the swarm of students. Kai hurriedly digs out his phone as he walks out of the building. 

Soobin had saved his name in his phone as “Choi Soobin” with a bunny emoji. There’s a text from him—he must have sent it during class.

**Choi Soobin 🐰**

Do you want to go to the cat cafe that just opened near Main Street today at ten? I was going to go with Yeonjun, but I don’t think he’ll be awake ㅋㅋ

Kai immediately screenshots the text and sends it to his group chat with Taehyun and Beomgyu. 

**hueningk**

??????????????????????

**Bamgyu**

Is that Soobin’s phone number???????

You know Choi Soobin???? 

Wait is hE asking you on a DATE 

**Taehyunnie**

You know him? 

**Bamgyu**

I will text him in two seconds if you don’t tell me what’s going on

**hueningk**

WAIT

it’s not a date

i’ll tell you when we meet up later >3<

i’m just so confused rn

does this mean he still wants to hang out???

**Bamgyu**

Lol he asked me to go but i have class

**Taehyunnie**

So he’s only asking Hyuka because he has no better options? 

**hueningk**

OUCH 

taehyunnie i’m getting you for that 

turn around right now

**Taehyunnie**

Lol shit 

**Bamgyu**

LANGUAGE 

Kai jumps on Taehyun’s back, almost bowling his best friend over. They share their next class together—nutrition. 

“Maybe you should lay off the ice cream,” Taehyun mumbles. 

Kai sticks his tongue out at Taehyun as they head towards their class. 

Thankfully, their professor just covers the syllabus and answers a few questions about their textbook before releasing them. Beomgyu’s out of class early too, and they meet in the park. 

Beomgyu is jumping up and down. “Hurry hurry hurry~ Tell me what’s going on between you and Soobin!” 

Huening Kai quickly explains as much as he can without giving away the details. Beomgyu looks scandalized.

“That’s _forbidden._ ” He makes a face. “I don’t know what bothers me more, that you made out with Soobin, or that you made out with your TA.” 

“Considering he needs an A in the class, probably because he’s Kai’s TA,” Taehyun says dryly.

“How do you know him anyway?” Kai asked. He frowned. “Wait, then why don’t you know Junie-hyung?” 

“I know _of_ him,” Beomgyu said, scratching his head.

“It’s pretty weird all five of us have never hung out at the same time,” Taehyun comments. “If Yeonjun-hyung and Soobin-ssi are good friends, and Soobin-ssi and Beomie are good friends, it would make sense to have eventually met at one point.”

Beomgyu grins. “It doesn’t sound too far off in the future.” He yelps when Taehyun smacks him lightly on the shoulder.

“TA. Soobin-ssi is Hyuka’s _TA._ ” 

Beomgyu laughs. “Oh, right. I can’t believe it. In high school, he hated studying.”

“So,” Kai cuts in, sounding slightly panicked. “Do I say yes?” 

Beomgyu shrugs. “Soobin is a good guy. If you want to hang out with him, why not? He’s really responsible. He’s actually kind of shy too, I don’t really see him reaching out to people often.” 

“Yeah, I’m sure Soobin-ssi would make a great _friend,_ ” Taehyun says. 

“Going to a cat cafe sounds fun,” Kai admits, not missing Taehyun’s emphasis on the word _friend._ “I’ve never gone before.” He’s bummed out that whatever college experience he had last night ended before it could even begin, but if Soobin is Beomgyu’s and Yeonjun’s friend, then he’s at least a good person. He’s not opposed to making new friends. “Do you guys wanna come?” 

Taehyun scrunches his nose. “You know I like dogs better.” 

“Class, remember?” Beomgyu reminds. 

“Oh.” Kai pouts, but he sends a text to Soobin letting him know that he’ll be there soon. 

“Aw, is our little ‘Ning shy?” Beomgyu cooed, and Kai smacks him playfully. 

“I’d like to see _you_ in my position.” Kai reconsiders what he said, then quickly says, “Actually no, nevermind, I don’t.” 

“Hey!” Beomgyu says indignantly. “What do you mean by that?” 

“I share a dorm with you, you know.” Kai sniffs delicately. 

Beomgyu squawks. “Are you insinuating that I would break the honor code?”

Kai blows him a raspberry and starts running in the direction of Main Street. “See you later!” He waves goodbye to them. 

Beomgyu nudges Taehyun. “So, you think…?” 

Taehyun sighs. “Anything could happen.” 

Beomgyu nods. “That’s what I thought too.” 

* * *

Huening Kai gets there first. Curiously, the cafe is named _Cat and Dog,_ even though there is a conspicuous lack of dogs. Maybe the cafe is planning to introduce them later? He doesn’t mean to loiter outside, but a Siamese cat that’s lounging by the window distracts him—part of its paw is pressed against the window, and Kai crouches down and presses his finger against the glass. The cat looks at him curiously and paws the window. Kai’s heart almost bursts—he loves cats so much, they really are the cutest. He giggles when the cat follows him.

“Huening Kai-ssi?” 

Kai startles into a standing position, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear self-consciously when he sees Soobin and realizes his TA may have just witnessed the whole thing. What he means to say is a polite greeting to Soobin, but what comes out instead is, “You don’t have to call me by my full name. My friends call me ‘Ning or Hyuka.” _Oh, he didn’t mean to_ —oh well, too late now. It’s been said.

“Oh,” and Soobin is _really_ good with smiling with his eyes. “How about Hueningie, then? And you can just call me Soobin-hyung, since I’m older. Sunbaenim is also fine.” Kai nods and walks through the door that Soobin opens before he sticks his foot in his mouth again. 

Inside, the atmosphere is bright and warm. Kai orders some grape juice and an egg sandwich—he still has a bit of a headache from his hangover. Soobin gets coffee and a custard bun. 

They sit down and the Siamese cat from earlier trots over, tail curling around his ankle. 

“Hi baby,” Kai coos and holds his arms out for the cat to jump into. The Siamese jumps up and curls against Kai’s chest, looking pleased with itself. Kai scratches it between its ears. “What’s your name, cutie?” He looks at the tag. “Moa? So precious, aren’t you?” The cat meows, lightly batting at his nose.

“You’re really good with cats,” Soobin says. He looks surprised and a little envious. 

“Yeah.” Kai grins and raises Moa’s paw. “Moa, say hi to Soobin-hyung~” The Siamese blinks at Soobin and meows, flicking her tail before stepping delicately on the table. Soobin looks incredibly touched when she nuzzles against his hand, and he tentatively pets her. When Soobin looks up again, Kai already has another cat in his lap—a Calico this time. 

“They really like you,” Soobin says, amused. 

“Who doesn’t?” Kai says jokingly, but Soobin believes him.

* * *

There are a few things that Soobin already knew about Huening Kai before they met. 

  1. Huening Kai and Yeonjun grew up together, and the latter finds it so disrespectful that Kai is now taller than him.
  2. Huening Kai, at times also known as “punk” or “that brat”, was also good friends with Beomgyu. 
  3. Huening Kai is the only person apart from Yeonjun that seems to like mint chocolate. 



There were a few things that Soobin found out about Huening Kai in the span of less than a day. 

  1. Impossibly, Huening Kai looks even better in real life than he does in photos. There’s a statuesque sort of quality that the camera can’t capture. 
  2. Huening Kai is _adorable._ Soobin hadn’t thought that sort of boyish innocence could coexist with someone who looked as gorgeous as Kai did, but he made it happen. 
  3. Huening Kai, though inexperienced, was an adept learner. Soobin could easily get addicted to kissing him _(and almost did.)_
  4. Huening Kai is extremely _off-limits._



The last fact was a bit devastating, but Soobin had always been interested in meeting Huening Kai from the stories Beomgyu and Yeonjun have told of him. It’s true that when he saw Kai in his class his heart may have dropped, but it hadn’t been enough to stop him from pursuing a friendship.

Over the next couple of months, Soobin learns a lot about Huening Kai, who quickly becomes a close friend. The most important things are:

  1. Yeonjun rarely gets serious, but Soobin gets a stern lecture the day after the party about how he was forbidden to “mess” with Kai. 
  2. Soobin is completely charmed by him. Whether Kai’s joking around, playing the piano, trying to study, or spam texting him pictures of Moa—Soobin likes him. A lot. As a friend, if anyone asks. 
  3. Kai is a very clingy person. Soobin is even a bit jealous when he sees Kai hang on to everyone but him, but eventually, they become comfortable enough with each other to be more physical and now Kai’s touching him all the time—  
(Soobin is a little overwhelmed with all of the attention but he craves and misses it all the same.)  
_(They toe a very fine line.)_
  4. Kai is terrible at chemistry. The boy had looked him straight in the eyes and told him H stood for helium on the periodic table. As his TA, he was extremely concerned. As his friend, Soobin didn’t let him live that one down for about a week (he got everyone else in the joke too.)  
(Kai being terrible meant that they spent a lot of time together in study sessions and even more time together in private for additional tutoring, where Soobin secretly peeks at Kai while he’s doing his work and passes it off as checking over Kai’s answers.) 
  5. Soobin feels like he’s slowly starting to lose control over his feelings. Soobin had always been more emotionally reserved, but Kai seems to be unraveling him.  
  
That scares him. 



* * *

To be honest, after the first party, Kai doesn’t really go to many more. For one, he barely has any time—he’s busting his ass off for an A in a subject that seems to hate him. And two—well, he’s not that interested. It felt like the first party he ever went to checked all his boxes.

Yeonjun is hosting though, so Kai figures he should at least show up for support. 

Unfortunately, he’s running on fumes from pulling an all-nighter, and after a few shots, he’s already almost passed out on the couch. When he feels himself being lifted, he nuzzles into the soft sweater under his cheek. 

“Junie-hyung, you’re embarrassing me,” Kai complains half-heartedly. “Put me down, shorty.” He could hear Yeonjun scoff, but for some reason, he sounded very far away. When he’s gently placed down onto a bed, Kai gives up pretense of staying awake and snuggles into the blankets. They smell nice, although somewhat unfamiliar—maybe Yeonjun recently washed his sheets. He stuck his arm out. “Hyung, give me Molang.” 

There is some shuffling around before the plush is placed in his arms, and he falls asleep almost immediately. 

* * *

“Kai, wake up.” 

Huening Kai groans. He feels kind of dizzy. Someone—it sounds like Soobin, because not many people just call him by his name—pulls gently on him to prop him up. When he feels Molang being taken away, he whines. 

“Don’t be a baby,” Soobin—yup, it’s definitely Soobin—says, and Kai feels a glass of something cold being pushed into his hands. Water? He opens his eyes blearily, wincing from the initial blurriness. Aside from the dim lamp on the desk, it was dark inside the room. “Drink this. There’s a review session tomorrow morning, or have you forgot?” Soobin chastises. “You’re going to feel terrible if you go to sleep drunk. Sober up first.” 

Kai’s a little too tired to do anything but follow instructions, so he swallows down the water, shivering when he feels a drop of cold water slide down his neck. Soobin’s mouth goes dry and he wets his lips because it’s suddenly _hot_ in the room, but Kai doesn’t see that. 

“Thanks, Soobinie-hyung.” Kai places the glass down where he thinks the nightstand is, only to almost drop it when the glass meets air. Wait. This isn’t Yeonjun’s bed? He feels the sheets underneath him. Nope. These are _way_ too soft. 

“Hyung,” Kai squeaks as he realizes something. “You _carried_ me?” 

“Like a princess,” Soobin says smugly as he takes the glass from him to put away. “Ah, and I had just gotten home too. I was ready to take some shots with everyone, but who knew that little Hueningie already fell asleep~” 

Kai splutters. “You know I stayed up all night working on balancing equations. With the extra homework you _gave_ me.” 

“That’s true,” Soobin says, and Kai feels the bed depress beside him. “How should I make that up to you?” 

Maybe it’s how suggestive it sounds. Maybe it’s the effects of the alcohol, or the way the light frames Soobin’s hair. Maybe it’s how close Soobin is to him, with no pretense of platonic skinship. Maybe it’s the way two months have passed with him only liking Soobin _more_ the closer they got. 

Maybe it’s just Kai and his inability to hold back, finally pushed to snap under pressure. 

Because when Kai moves closer, his hand skimming across Soobin’s thigh, his intentions are obvious. He hears Soobin’s breath hitch, and he holds his breath, waiting for the older to reject him, to say _no,_ to show some restraint. 

Instead, the tension between them is drawn tight; they gravitate towards each other and it feels like _something_ is building, like an explosion. Kai’s desperate by the time Soobin finally kisses him. He fists a hand in Soobin’s shirt and pull him _closer;_ he wants to feel Soobin’s body against his. 

Kai doesn’t expect Soobin to pull him into his lap, but he follows his lead and straddles his legs; Soobin starts pressing kisses up his neck and Kai whimpers. His hands grip Soobin’s shoulders, and for a few moments there’s not much else he can do other than gasp softly as Soobin continues to suck lightly on the sensitive skin on his neck. Kai’s hands tangle in the older’s hair, determined to get some semblance of control back as he kisses towards Soobin’s jawline, teeth gently teasing the shell of his ear. Soobin shudders and makes a noise that causes Kai to flush with heat. 

They kiss for what seems like only minutes, hands greedily exploring each other (though they never go _too_ far), and at one point Soobin pushes Kai down against the mattress. There’s something that makes Kai relish the way Soobin’s able to pin him down easily; the Soobin he sees everyday who’s all soft smiles and easygoing laughter can also be _like this_ and take his breath away. 

Though Kai recognizes the signs of a party winding down (it’s significantly quieter, now), it doesn’t occur to him what that could _mean_ until the doorknob starts to twist. Soobin’s eyes widen and Kai makes a split second decision—he rolls to the side, and yanks the covers over them. 

The door opens, and all Kai can hear is their harsh breathing. Thankfully, Yeonjun doesn’t seem to notice—the lamp clicks off and they hear Yeonjun groan as he collapses into his bed. Kai can barely suppress a giggle. Yeonjun sounds like someone in his mid forties instead of a college junior going to bed after a party. 

It’s not long before Yeonjun’s breathing deepens, and they try not to gasp for air as they come up from under the covers. 

Kai can’t find Soobin’s face in the dark, but he presses one last kiss against Soobin’s lips before tucking himself into the older’s chest. “Night night, Soobinie.” 

“Good night, Kai.” 

* * *

When Kai wakes up in the morning, his arms are full with Molang instead of Soobin. He sits up in Soobin’s bed in confusion, checking his phone for the time. Did he oversleep?

**Soobinie🐰**

We need to talk...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i really can't tell how many chapters i have left, i might finish it in the next chapter i might need two more??? /dead
> 
> i hope everyone likes the direction it's going ;_; ?? because i promised struggle bus but also i want to write them kissing but also i like fluff so you know  
> (screams into pillow /it's been so long since i've written anything outside of basic kissing)
> 
> also side note i am a slow writer in general but i will definitely finish this story so don't worry !(•̀ᴗ•́)و ̑̑ i just also like to work on a million things at once
> 
> &thank you everyone who's been leaving me comments and kudos, interaction with people who enjoy my writing warms my heart so much ;_; <3


	3. i'm red, you're blue, and i like violet again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> listen,,, i ran out of characters so i used some from ot7/bts (they're not a big part of the fic)  
> i'm not sure i want to tag this fic with bts since vkook isn't that prominent (pls i don't think i can characterize bts well enough to write about them extensively)  
> -they'll likely just be mentioned briefly in the next chapter if at all 
> 
> also, i am bad at math, but since kai's birthday is in aug, naturally he would be 19 by the time the semester starts,,, so upping maknae line's ages to 19 for this fic
> 
> -also upping chapter count, i think i should be able to finish wrapping everything up next chapter, but it ain't happening in this one

“Look, I fucked up,” Soobin says. “I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you.”

Kai’s confused. “You didn’t take advantage of me. I was the one who started it.”

“Yeah, but—” 

“No buts.” Kai shuts him down sharply—Soobin can’t blame himself. “ _If_ I made a mistake, I made it while knowing the consequences.” And honestly, fuck the consequences. Didn’t everyone see him working his ass off to earn his grades? And Soobin would never even think of “fixing” his marks. It isn’t fair. 

Kai’s heart drops at the grim look on Soobin’s face. He already knows what he’s going to say. 

“I think we should limit our time together,” Soobin says. He’s locking and unlocking his fingers together. It’s a nervous habit. “I, well, I obviously can’t control myself around you.” He gestures to Kai. “And I don’t want your grade to be voided because of me. You know you’re doing really well, right?”

 _Because of you,_ Kai thinks bitterly, but it’s not like he can just ignore what happened last night either. Trust Soobin to think of others first—if they were suspected of having a relationship and Soobin was punished for it, it would leave a mark on his transcript far worse than a voided grade. He may even get suspended.

“Ok,” Kai says weakly. He needs to leave while he’s still numb. _Shit._ And they were getting along so well as five too.

He doesn’t want to miss the study session, but he’s not entirely confident he’ll be able to maintain his composure, so he bows quickly before essentially sprinting out the door.

The worst thing about it all is that Soobin is being nothing but reasonable.

It’s just that Kai prefers to be unreasonable.

* * *

(It’s not that Kai hasn’t thought about it before. If Soobin liked him enough, wouldn’t he risk it?) 

(He knows he’s being selfish.) 

(He’s just never liked anyone this much.)

* * *

“Uh…” 

Yeonjun’s eyebrows climb higher and higher. Soobin has a bit of a sweet tooth, but demolishing an entire tub of ice cream is new—that had to be what, at least five servings? 

“Trouble in paradise?” Yeonjun jokes, but Soobin gives him _that_ look, and he immediately becomes concerned. “What happened?” 

“I fucked up, hyung.” He looks miserable. “I fucked up bad.” 

Yeonjun joins Soobin on the couch and slings an arm around his shoulders. “Talk to hyung about it.” 

Soobin pours his heart out, and Yeonjun is surprised at the depth of his feelings. He doesn’t give Soobin any advice, though—his mind is clearly made up. Yeonjun just wishes he wasn’t always so selfless.

* * *

Kai’s quality of studying takes a nosedive. He stops attending Soobin’s study sessions. He starts coming to class early so he can sit in the very back, as far away as he can from the TA table. He loses some sleep, but he’s already sleeping poorly from all the extra studying he has to do to make up for losing Soobin’s tutoring, so it’s not like another fifteen minutes matter that much in the long run. 

But… 

He stares numbly at the giant “C” on his test. He hastily pulls out a calculator, sighing in relief when he confirms that he can still get an A in the class with homework factored in. It would require for him to do well in the last test as well as the cumulative final. 

_Fuck._ Kai rubs at his eyes tiredly. He needed to go find another tutor. He obviously isn’t good at self-guided studying. Or maybe he could ask Taehyun, although he isn’t taking it until next semester. Taehyun’s a genius though. 

Kai unlocks his phone to send a text, feeling a pang of emotion when he sees that his home screen is still a picture of him and Soobin.

He doesn’t have the heart to change it yet.

* * *

“This is tragic,” Beomgyu stage whispers. “He’s been like this for weeks. He looks like his favorite plushie got ripped up.”

“Or that time someone told him Pluto wasn’t a planet anymore.”

“Remember when he found out not all mint chocolate ice cream was green?”

“Shut up,” Kai grumbles from his face-down position on their couch. “I’m sad, not depressed.” 

“So you’ll come to the Halloween party with us tonight?” Beomgyu asks, waggling his eyebrows.”Taehyun’s dressing up as a cat. We all have to match for solidarity.” 

“We have to dress up?” Kai groans. 

“Just wear black clothing and cat ears,” Taehyun says mildly. “You’re cute enough that nobody will complain.”

“I’m not cute enough for the one person I actually want,” Kai wails, then curls up into a ball.

Beomgyu looks at Taehyun. “Told you he was depressed.” 

“I’m not depressed!”

“Kai-ya, you dyed your hair _and_ changed up your hairstyle. If that’s not the definition of “going through it”, then my name isn’t Choi Beomgyu.” 

Kai makes an offended noise. “Eunha-noona said she needed a hair model! I was just helping out!” 

“Noona is too good for you,” Taehyun sniffs.

“You can just say the hairstyle suits me in regular words,” Kai says petulantly, voice muffled by a plushie. 

“Let’s go pick up the costume parts now. We need to get back early so I can help Kai style his hair. He still kind of sucks at it.” 

Kai glares balefully at Beomgyu. Well, it was the truth...he’s not used to having to do anything with his hair. 

“Ok, Hyunnie’s driving,” Kai says, getting up from the couch. “Let’s stop by Cat and Dog Cafe on the way, I wanna see Moa.” 

“I’m the only one with a car anyway…” Taehyun mutters, rolling his eyes. The audacity.

* * *

“Wait…what’s the point in going if you’re going to limit me anyway?” Kai complains as Taehyun pours extra soda in his mixed drink.

“Just making sure you don’t stress drink,” Taehyun says, staring at Kai as he downs a shot. Beomgyu cackles. 

“You are a bully,” Kai pouts, but he brightens up when he sees Yeonjun across the room in fox ears and hanbok. “Junie-hyung!” He waves him over. “I didn’t know you were coming.” He bites his lip when he suddenly realizes. “Wait…” 

“Soobin’s not coming,” Yeonjun answers for him. “He’s busy prepping for the next review session.” Yeonjun’s gaze is calculative. “Which you should go to.” 

“What is he even prepping? We just received our marks for our last test,” Kai mumbles, sipping petulantly at his drink. He can feel the elder scrutinize him for a brief second before he slings an arm around him. 

“Who’s the new look for?” Yeonjun teases, thankfully changing the subject.

Kai brushes a hand through his hair in annoyance. “Why does everyone keep asking?” he whines. “Eunha-noona needed a volunteer for her practical, and I said I could do it.” 

Yeonjun rolled his eyes. “It’s because you look good, brat.” 

“I know I do,” Kai grins. He peels off Yeonjun—when they stand in a group of four like this, the absence of the fifth is too obvious. “I’m going to find people to talk to. TaeGyu, don’t come get me until you’re ready for another shot.” He flounces off. 

Yeonjun eyes the younger over his drink. “That bad, huh?” 

“Yup,” Taehyun and Beomgyu agree at the same time.

“You know who would feel terrible if he never got to see ‘Ning in cat ears?” Yeonjun says conspiratorily.

Taehyun sighed. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, hyung?”

“Let’s do it,” Beomgyu giggles. “Soobin deserves to know what he’s missing out on. Or is it _who_ he’s missing out on?” Beomgyu had taken substantially more shots than Taehyun and Kai combined, and its starting to show. He reaches out to touch Yeonjun’s fox ears. “Wow, these are really soft, Junie.” 

“Junie- _hyung,_ ” the elder corrects, and he looks at Taehyun bewilderedly. 

“Figure it out yourself,” Taehyun says blandly before heading in the direction Kai left in. He should probably keep an eye on—wait, is that _Jungkook?_

* * *

Kai wouldn’t really call himself a social butterfly—he just happens to know a lot of people, so he drifts from conversation to conversation until he bumps into someone familiar in the living room. 

“Taehyungie?” he calls out in confusion. The male turns around.

“Oh thank god, Ning Ning. I was beginning to think I knew no one at this party. I’m too old for this shit.” The grad student bounces over—he isn’t dressed in a costume, although his usual style almost passes off for one. Regal vampire, maybe? Taehyung gives him a quick hug. Back when Huening Kai was interested in pursuing art, Taehyun had been a tutor-of-sorts, a friend-of-sorts, a bad-influence-of-sorts. 

“Oo, what’s this? These are so cute,” Taehyung cooes over his cat ears. The elder raises a brow. “And who are you looking so hot for?”

Huening Kai blushes lightly. “Nobody here.” Taehyung hums and pulls him in closer. He used to be shorter than his art sunbae, but now, Kai’s taller by a few inches. Taehyung has to reach to whisper in his ear. 

”You see _him?_ ” Taehyung gestures discreetly across the room, and Kai follows his gaze until he sees Taehyun. 

“Hyunnie?” Kai asks in confusion. 

Taehyung snorts. “No, the one beside him.” 

Kai “ahs” when he sees Jungkook, a senior whom Taehyun has admired ever since middle school when they were in a dance group together. 

“Are you two together?” Kai asks curiously. Taehyung’s looking at him with obvious affection. 

“No, no,” Taehyung says. “I’m just experimenting. Tryna see if he’ll get jealous.” 

Kai smirks. “So you _want_ to be together.” 

Taehyung slaps him on the arm. “The nerve of children these days,” he huffs. “Why don’t you tell me all about your little crush? Don’t think I didn’t catch you blushing like a schoolgirl.” 

“You’ll probably give me bad advice anyway, hyung,” Kai complains, remembering all the times Taehyung had gotten them both in trouble for “bending the rules.” 

“It’s usually the bad advice that you want to hear,” Taehyun says wisely, and Kai finds that he can’t argue.

“Ok, so listen…I met my TA at a party…” 

* * *

When Soobin walks into the party, he expects to see Yeonjun half-passed out on the couch and ready to drag home. What he gets instead—an eyeful of Yeonjun and Beomgyu making out in an isolated loveseat—makes him realize abruptly that he’s been tricked. Also, he’s not looking forward to _that_ conversation tomorrow.

His next shock makes him walk straight to the kitchen to prepare himself a stiff drink, because damn it, he is _not_ dealing with this tonight. 

(But the image of Huening Kai with cat ears and perfectly messy hair, tightly clad in all black, is already seared in his mind.) 

(Worse still, is that he seems to be in someone else’s arms.) 

He knocks back a couple of shots in quick succession before he walks back out in search of Taehyun—he thinks he saw him near the living room. He’s not in the mood to socialize with people he barely knows. 

“Taehyun,” Soobin calls, surprised to see him conversing with unexpected company. “Jungkook-hyung?” The senior is one of Yeonjun’s friends, but Soobin had spoken with him enough times to be comfortable. Jungkook nods hello—he looks distracted.

Soobin gestures to Taehyun’s cat ears. “Very cute.” 

Taehyun smiles. “Then you should see Kai.” He points across the room, where Kai has a pretty, black-haired stranger braced against a counter. 

“Already have,” Soobin grits out, taking a large swallow of his drink. Surprisingly, Jungkook mirrors him, right down to the annoyed stare. 

Taehyun sighs and feels like he spends a lot of his time taking care of oblivious idiots. 

* * *

“Wait—that’s him,” Kai squeaks.

Taehyung sneaks a covert glance. “Oo, tall and handsome? Your man is pretty hot.” 

“He’s not my man,” Kai scowls. “He’s my TA who has clearly drawn a line.” 

Taehyung raises an eyebrow. “Lines are meant to be crossed.” He slouches backwards against the counter. “Lean over me so it looks like we’re flirting.” 

Kai rolled his eyes but follows his instructions obediently. “How are you going to defend me from Jungkook-ssi?” 

Taehyung relaxes with a Cheshire-like grin on his face. “And what about this TA of yours? It feels like he’s going to burn a hole through me with that glare of his. I admit I like attention, but he’s kind of scary.”

Kai pinches Taehyung’s cheek. “Who are you kidding, hyung. Soobinie’s the gentlest person I know. He’d never do anything remotely scary...unlike Jungkook-ssi.”

“That’s slander. Jungkook is soft once you get to know him.”

“Do I really want to, after you set me up like this?” Kai asks dryly. 

Taehyung smirks. “Not gonna lie, they’re both looking in this direction, and they look _mad._ ” 

“Hyung! You know I can’t turn around.” 

Taehyung grins mischievously. “I’m going to touch your cheek. If they don’t come after that, I need you to pretend to kiss me.” 

“Taehyungie, I’m not going to play chicken with you,” he says, even though his heart flutters at the thought of Soobin being remotely jealous. 

“What did I always tell you, Ning Ning?” Taehyung says as he cups Kai’s cheek. “You have to work the angle.” 

“I just wanted you to know hyung, even though you’re very attractive, you’re not my type,” Kai jokes as he tilts his head to ‘work the angle’. 

“As if I would be interested in a baby five years younger than me,” Taehyung sniffs. “Speaking of which, ‘your type’ is coming this way. Oo, so is Jungkookie. Alright, mission success!” Taehyung winks at him before they untangle. 

Taehyung waves leisurely at Jungkook—Kai swallows. He’s still a little scared of the senior, who looks mostly calm but is also most definitely glaring at him. Taehyung blows Kai an air kiss as Jungkook tugs on his arm. “See you later, sweetie~” 

Kai stares balefully at his retreating back. Taehyung is certainly not helping him out in the not-having-Jungkook-kill-him department. 

Then he sees Soobin, and his stomach drops. It’s been a while since he’s seen him outside of class (in which he makes a solid effort to avoid him at all costs). He’s not in any sort of costume, and Kai surmises that Soobin really hadn’t planned on going out today—he’s the type of person who enjoys dressing up, especially for holidays. He looks as gorgeous as ever in a simple white sweater and jeans. 

Soobin’s expression is stormy, and his jaw is clenched when he enters Kai’s space. Kai isn’t aware Soobin is backing him against the counter until his back hits it, and _wow,_ Soobin is really, really close. He’s tense, drawn taut like a bowstring. 

“Come with me,” Soobin says in his ear with the barest hint of a growl, and Kai feels a hand press firmly against the small of his back. Kai would say he sounded possessive if he didn’t suddenly drop the touch a few seconds later. Kai already feels bereft. 

He briefly feels the urge to be petty and considers refusing when Soobin looks at him again. “Not here,” he says, and Kai suddenly feels foolish. Right. He’d forgotten about _that._ He follows Soobin upstairs—does he even know this house? The elder tries a few doors before one finally opens, and when Soobin locks the door behind them, the resulting _click_ sounds final, like the last nail in the coffin.

“Kai,” Soobin says, voice on edge. “It’s not my business to ask—” 

Kai crosses his arms. “Then why are you making it your business?” 

Soobin places a hand on his arm. “Why are you being difficult?” 

Kai juts out his chin in defiance. “Why are _you_ being difficult?” Let it be known that Kai never said he wasn’t childish. 

Soobin lowers his hand until he’s gripping Kai at the waist, and he’s doing that wonderful thing where he’s pinning Kai against the nearest flat surface (it’s the door this time). He’s close enough for Kai to smell the shampoo in his hair; it’s a delicately clean scent, the same as his sheets and fresh laundry. 

“I don’t know,” Soobin confesses as he stares at Kai, gaze dropping to his lips and he leans in—

—and it’s surprisingly Soobin who makes the first move, pressing his lips against Kai’s fiercely; the unexpected intensity of it all catches Kai off-guard and he reflexively clutches onto Soobin’s sweater.

They kiss heatedly, fighting for control. It’s exhilarating. 

Kai untucks Soobin’s layers and slips his hands underneath them, tracing the muscles there; Soobin makes a helpless sound against his mouth and Kai wins this round. Their tongues meet and Soobin tastes lightly of alcohol—Kai’s sure he does too, but he doubts either of them had much to drink, considering Taehyun restricted him and Soobin had just gotten here. The fact that alcohol had minimal influence, if any, in making Soobin do _this,_ pleases Kai. Soobin is being unreasonable of his own accord.

Soobin gives Kai’s lower lip one last nibble before moving on to his neck. He pauses momentarily, and Kai trembles when he feels Soobin’s breath fan across his sensitive skin. 

“Want to mark you up,” Soobin almost growls, hooking his thumbs onto Kai’s waistband. “Can I do that, baby?” 

Kai can’t suppress the shiver of excitement that runs through him; Soobin’s voice is low and possessive, and he nods—unsure if he’s shy, turned on, or both. 

Soobin slides a hand in his hair to pull his head back, and Kai gasps softly when Soobin starts sucking on the sensitive skin on his neck; it’s nothing like the light kissing they’ve done before in the area. He shudders, completely at Soobin’s mercy—he bites down _hard_ on his lip, but it does little to stifle his breathless whimpers. 

By the time Soobin finishes, Kai’s legs feel like jelly and he’s almost entirely supported by the door and Soobin. 

“Did it hurt?” Soobin asks in concern as he softly kisses the small marks he made. He didn’t hear anything indicating so, but he wanted to be sure. 

“N-No,” Kai stammers. He’s sure that his face is a lovely shade of pink. It’s just that he didn’t expect this side of Soobin, and he’s a bit overwhelmed and a bit in love. 

Soobin readjusts his grip so he’s supporting more of Kai’s weight. Kai wonders if he noticed him slipping. Probably. 

Soobin’s looking at him tenderly, and Kai’s heart flutters—he’s not allowed to switch like that. It’s giving him emotional whiplash. Soobin presses a light kiss on his nose. 

“You look really good,” he says quietly. “The ears are adorable too. Makes me think of Moa. Whose idea was that?” 

“It was ‘Gyu’s idea to match Hyunnie,” Kai answers, and Soobin kisses him again, gently this time. Kai melts. 

“And the hair?” Soobin asks between kisses, flexing his fingers in the loose waves. 

“You too?” Kai giggles. “Eunha-noona needed a volunteer.” 

“Wasn’t able to resist you before you did this to your hair,” Soobin mutters. “Think I’m totally screwed now.” 

Kai has more questions to ask, but Soobin’s kissing him, soft and slow, and Kai thinks they can wait until later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -v as huening kai's rebellious art tutor? :)  
> my twt is <https://twitter.com/jiayouhyuka> for anyone interested! (don’t look at my tl tho i’m so far behind ;_; feel free to dm me at any time about anything (especially txt & writing)! i’m friendly i promise uwub)


	4. the number of your eyelashes, i want to memorize like a math equation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> @the anon who said they missed h is for helium two days ago and i told them it would be updated by the end of this month...  
> surprise ٩( ᐛ )و♡
> 
> i forgot i was just wrapping it up! wasn't too much to write so it's done early hehe

They both silently agree that being on someone else’s bed is _weird,_ so they eventually find time to continue their conversation vertically.

“Should I be worried about who was with you tonight?” Soobin asks, and the worry in his voice dissuades Kai from being dishonest. 

“No, why? Were you jealous?” Kai peeks at him—very much interested in the answer. 

Soobin has the decency to look chagrined. “Very,” he admits. “I thought I fucked up and you moved on already.” Soobin presses his nose into Kai’s hair, breathing deeply. “Missed you so much,” he says quietly. 

“I missed you too. Missed spending time with you.” Kai scrunches up his nose. “Even though a lot of it was just Chemistry tutoring.” 

Soobin kisses him again, fingers grazing Kai’s exposed hip, where his shirt had been rucked up slightly—they really couldn’t keep their hands off each other now that it finally feels like they’ve ( _Soobin_ ) accepted their circumstances.

Kai slides his tongue against Soobin’s, and the older hums in approval, taking a brief break to murmur, “And to think you were so innocent a couple of months ago.”

“Maybe you’re teaching me the wrong things?” Kai flirts, brushing Soobin’s ear with the back of his hand, knowing just how ridiculously sensitive he was there.

Soobin responds by deepening the kiss, and Kai mewls when Soobin tugs lightly on his hair (ok, maybe he had a _tiny_ thing for his hair getting pulled). Soobin chuckles at Kai’s enthusiastic response and continues threading his fingers through the strands.

“No, wait,” Kai suddenly yelps when he feels a cat ear dislodge. He reaches up to his hair. “This one’s coming loose.” 

“That would be a shame,” Soobin says as he helps Kai fix it, “Since they suit you so well, kitten.” 

Kai’s face blooms pink; he’s still not quite used to Soobin using endearments with him. Earlier when Soobin called him _baby,_ he thought he was going to combust on the spot. 

“Glad I still have the advantage in something.” Soobin smirks knowingly at him as he traces circles on Kai’s hip. 

“Think you have the advantage in a lot of things,” Kai manages to say in between kisses, slightly squirming as Soobin pressed forward in his exploration, fingers brushing over sensitive zones. The fact that his clothing is clingier than usual heightens the feeling of physicality, and Kai breathes harshly as Soobin’s hands continue to roam, his fingers eventually dipping underneath his waistband—

They both jump when they hear someone knock sharply against the door. Soobin furrows his brow and Kai can tell his first thought is of them being caught. Kai hurriedly adjusts his clothing before patting Soobin’s stomach soothingly. He turns around to answer the door, using his body to block vision of the room.

“Hyunnie,” he says in relief when he sees his best friend on the other side. 

“...Oh,” Taehyun says as he tilts his head. “Can you let Soobin-hyung know that I’m taking ‘Gyu home?” He seems to stare right through Kai, and the younger fidgets nervously. “I can take Yeonjun-hyung too, if Soobin-hyung is...preoccupied.” 

Kai waves his hand nervously. “He’s not preoccupied. Is ‘Gyu ok?” 

“He’s fine, I don’t know if he’ll regret his decisions in the morning though.” 

“What decisions?” 

“You’ll find out from Yeonjun-hyung tomorrow. Soobin-hyung might know though. Text me when you’re safe, Kai.” Before he walks back downstairs, Taehyun smirks and gestures to his neck. “You’re too obvious.” 

Kai’s hand shoots up to his neck and he sticks out his tongue. “W-Whatever. Text me when you get home!” He pouts at Soobin after shutting the door. “I forgot about these.” 

“Sorry, I got carried away,” Soobin says as he fingers skitter across the marks. They’re small and could be easily covered by a collar. “I like them though.” He smirks. “You seemed to like them too.” 

“I get to give you one later to make it fair,” Kai grumbles, helping fix Soobin’s clothing. “Let’s go get Junie-hyung. And oh—Hyunnie mentioned you knew something about him and ‘Gyu?” 

“Oh, that.” Soobin sighs. “Let me tell you in the car.”

* * *

“What?” Kai gasped. “I didn’t know they were even into each other.” 

“Neither of them told me anything, which is a problem,” Soobin mutters. “They usually tell me these kind of things.” He glances in the mirror—Yeonjun’s knocked out cold in the back seat. He reaches for Kai’s hand, and the younger shyly interlocks their fingers together. “Might be a rough conversation tomorrow.”

“I’m sure we’ll all be fine,” Kai says confidently. “We’ll work it out.” 

Soobin smiles softly—he doesn’t know how he’ll be able to let go of him, how he was even able to do it once before.

* * *

**hueningk**

don’t wait up for me, i’m staying over at soobinie’s >3<♡

Taehyun snorts. As expected. 

**Taehyunnie**

Use protection.

**hueningk**

f,DFKLDLFJDSL GIOSMFSLg;m

Even illuminated by the dim light emitted from the phone screen, Soobin could see Kai blush, bottom lip snagged between his teeth as he furiously texts back. Knowing Taehyun, he can more or less guess the contents of their conversation. Kai huffs and slides his phone onto Soobin’s nightstand, squeaking when the older pulls him into the bed. 

“This feels familiar,” Kai mumbles as he straddles Soobin’s lap. Kai’s in a borrowed pair of pajamas—Soobin may or may not have given him his largest t-shirt just so he could see it slip around Kai’s shoulders.

“Very cute,” Soobin says approvingly as he slowly trails kisses up Kai’s shoulder to his exposed collarbone. 

“You’re not going to leave again after, are you?” The doubt in Kai’s voice tightens Soobin’s chest—that’s _his_ fault.

“No, Kai,” he says, threading their fingers together. He raises them, pressing a soft kiss against the back of Kai’s hand. “I still think we should talk about it, but I’m staying. I promise.” 

“Can we talk about it later?” Kai asks, shyness melting away as he pushes on Soobin’s chest. Soobin falls back against his pillow, and his heart may have skipped a beat when he sees Kai smirk down at him. “Don’t I owe you something?” 

It takes every ounce of will in Soobin’s body and then some to resist rolling his hips against Kai’s. 

“Something along those lines, yeah,” Soobin manages to say. And if he’s stuck wearing a turtleneck for the next week, well, that’s on him. 

Soobin squeezes his eyes shut and tries but fails to breathe calmly through his nose as he feels Kai’s teeth and tongue light upon his neck. It’s not the first time that Soobin regrets Kai being such a good learner— _what a menace,_ he thinks as Kai sets about on his mission to give him a hickey. 

Kai carefully sucks the sensitive skin between his teeth and Soobin half wishes Kai started out knowing what he was doing, because the slow exploration is _killing_ him. “Fuck,” Soobin mutters hazily. He fists a hand in Kai’s hair and gently tightens his grip, resulting in a whimper hummed against his skin.

When Kai finally seems pleased with his work, he lets his tongue skim over Soobin’s ear; this, coupled with Kai experimentally pressing down with his hips, almost completely unravels Soobin’s self-control.

“Slow down baby,” Soobin says breathlessly, hands rushing to anchor Kai before he causes any more devastation. “Yeonjun’s still here.” And heavily passed out, but still.

All of Kai’s bravado seems to dissipate at once and he quickly hides his face by snuggling closely against Soobin’s shoulder. 

“Not that I don’t want to,” Soobin murmurs as he holds Kai close, “But let’s at least take it slower until I’m not your TA anymore? I don’t want to rush.” 

“En,” Kai hums in agreement, squeezing Soobin’s hand.

Conversation takes place in lowered voices late that night, accompanied with soft, sweet kisses that linger with the taste of mint toothpaste.

* * *

**Yeonjun-hyung**

Hey, you awake?

**Bamgyu**

I don’t want to be...I have the worst hangover 

**Yeonjun-hyung**

Come over? I make damn good hangover soup

Plus, I don’t wanna third wheel here 

Soobin and Kai slept together and it’s gross how cute they are

**Bamgyu**

WHAT??? 

**Yeonjun-hyung**

...like, they literally slept together 

You know Soobin wouldn’t do anything like THAT 

**Bamgyu**

Oh

**Yeonjun-hyung**

We’re ok though right?

I’m not going to put myself through the same shit they did

I like you, I think we have good chemistry

Can I take you out on a date?

**Bamgyu**

Isn’t that why I’m heading over right now? 

**Yeonjun-hyung**

Oh 😳

After I feed the kids then

Wait, that includes you 

ㅋㅋㅋ

**Bamgyu**

😐

Very funny hyung!!!

See if this kid will kiss you again!!! 

**Yeonjun-hyung**

Wait 

I take it back

Honeybee?????

Beomie 

Bom 

Gyu 

ㅠㅠ

* * *

When left without an alarm, Soobin is usually able to sleep well past afternoon, but this morning, the mouthwatering smell of Yeonjun’s special _haejang-guk_ wakes him up. He opens his eyes to see Kai curled up next to him, and the view is what dreams and romance novels are made of; the sunlight filtering through the blinds makes Kai look all the more ethereal and breathtaking. His long lashes cast shadows over his cheeks, and as Soobin brushes Kai’s bangs away from his face, the younger’s relaxed sleeping expression makes him pause. He looks so pure and innocent that calling him an angel would not be an exaggeration. Soobin presses a soft kiss to his forehead, then carefully tries to disentangle himself. He doesn’t really need Yeonjun’s soup, but he’s not one to ignore delicious food. 

Kai makes a soft noise of protest when Soobin tugs his arm away. He opens his eyes blearily, squinting from the bright sun. “Soobinie? What time is it?

“Too early,” Soobin replies fondly. “You can go back to sleep if you want.” They stayed up late talking about their plans moving forward. It made Soobin realize how rash he had been, to almost let someone so precious slip through his fingers.

Kai sits up on the bed and stretches with a squeaky yawn so cute that Soobin is momentarily overwhelmed with the urge to give Kai a tight hug, and he does.

“You’re so cute,” Soobin says, words somewhat muffled against Kai’s skin. He smells a bit like whatever hair product he used last night. Soobin wonders briefly what he smells like regularly before smiling. He has all the time to find out. 

“I know,” Kai says teasingly, but he melts in Soobin’s embrace. “What’s Junie-hyung making? It smells good.” The bed across from them is conspicuously empty.

“ _Haejang-guk,_ ” Soobin says. “I didn’t really drink last night. Do you feel alright?” 

“I didn’t get to drink much either…” 

They pull back and smile wryly at each other. 

“I’ll get you a toothbrush if you want to wake up now.”

Kai nods and follows Soobin to the bathroom to wash up. 

When they exit the bedroom, they didn’t expect to also see Beomgyu and Taehyun who were already eating.

“Well well well, who do we have here?” Beomgyu crows. Kai takes a small step behind Soobin and groans.

“Why are you here?” Kai whines. 

“Ya! I—we were invited too!” Beomgyu sets down his spoon and stands up from his seat. “Come here, you disrespectful brat.” 

“Is your name on the lease too?” Taehyun asks dryly.

Soobin’s eyes flicker between Yeonjun and Beomgyu. Their body language isn’t indicating any discomfort, if anything, it seems that they’re leaning towards each other. _That’s good._

Kai sticks his tongue out at Beomgyu. “Don’t wanna.” 

“Settle down, kids.” Yeonjun chuckles when Beomgyu huffs at him. “Glad to see you two worked things out. House rules: no kissing during mealtime.” He gestures to the counter. “Your bowls are over there.” Kai sniffs and doesn’t deign Yeonjun with a response.

As they stand together in that crowded kitchen, Soobin and Kai’s eyes meet as they share a smile. 

Everything will work out. This is how it’s meant to be.

* * *

“You can open your eyes now.” 

Kai laughs as he steps inside their apartment. “Finally. Now can you tell me what—” He suddenly gasps when he sees her. An adorable bow adorns her collar. Moa meows loudly and jumps into Kai’s outstretched arms. “No wonder I haven’t seen her this week,” Kai says as he strokes her soft fur. He looks at Soobin, eyes glittering with unshed tears. “You adopted her?” 

“ _We_ adopted her,” Soobin corrects, resting his chin on Kai’s shoulder. “Please don’t love her more than me.” 

Kai giggles. “She’s the best anniversary present ever. I can’t promise I won’t.” 

Soobin’s hand rests suggestively on Kai’s waist. “How about I show you how much more I love you…”

Kai turns around and smacks Soobin on the shoulder. “Don’t be gross in front of her.” He grins, though, and steps up to kiss his boyfriend.

“I love you.”

“Love you too.”

(And yes, Kai aced that chemistry class with an A. After all, he had plenty of motivation.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you guys sleep on moa/the cat and it shows ㅠㅠ
> 
> this fic was really my baby!!! my first chaptered fic and i was so excited to finish it. thank you to everyone who left comments, encouragements, kudos, etc. ㅠㅠ i really feel so much more confident in my writing because of how positive everyone has been ♡
> 
> i really want to write something for valentine's day but not sure if i'll be able to finish anything on time. i'll try!
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/yourcutiekai) & [ask](https://curiouscat.me/dracometria) >3<♡


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